God With Us
And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:20
When you look back, what do you see? As we look back at this year, we see something beyond the visible, something unfolding, something bigger. We see God with us, which means we are not alone. We are a part of His-story.
The name Emmanuel means God is with us. God could have used other prepositions, but He chose ‘with’ and it shows His heart for His people. Some people see God as doing things ‘to’ them. They see Him as oppressive, authoritarian, and demanding. Others view God as doing things ‘for’ them. They tell Him what they want, and He does it for them. Neither of those, describe God.
Jesus came to be with us. He reconciled us with God the Father, He came to earth to live with us, and He sent His Spirit to be with us. He is not distant or removed from the struggles we go through. He is with us through them.
We have faced problems this year. This year has challenged our freedom, our safety, and our civility. It feels difficult when we look at things from our perspective, but it changes when God is with us.
He is our protector from danger. He reconciles us to one another and gives us freedom. The visible things may not change, but a baby in a manger didn’t look like the way you change the world either. Step back and look at what God is doing in His-story. You might see beyond the visible, something unfolding, and something far greater than the problems that we face.
Grandeur
How can you describe the greatness of God? When you stand in the bottom of the Grand Canyon you can feel quite small compared to the expanse all around you. It is a helpful reminder of the greatness of God.
The Canyon is also a reminder of expanse of our world that God has made. There are many places where the Word of God has not yet reached. Places where there is a drought of biblical training and the people are thirsty.
The 20-mile hike served three functions. It was a fundraiser so that the Orality Institute can expand its reach. It was a tool to raise the awareness for this ministry and our efforts to bring God’s Word to those hard-to-reach places. It was a prayer hike where we could have intentional time praying for the needs of our partners around the world. To date, we have raised $9270 from this hike. There are pictures and videos on the Orality Institute Facebook page.
Here are some recent prayer requests:
- Year-end outreaches to the Muslims
- A new church building
- Transportation for the pastors
- Resources for the schools
- A grant for the halfway house
- Pastoral trainings
- A growing season without drought
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
If I would count them, they are more than the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you. Psalm 139:17-18
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